school kgb guy. >> he headed up the kbg. >> that's what i mean. yeah. >> reporter: while russia is a long-term foreign policy challenge for the president, in the short term his focus is terrorism. he addressed it with leno. >> how significant is the threat? >> significant enough that we are taking every precaution. >> reporter: lester, back to russia. today's move is symbolic. there is a lot of work with syria and iran. in fact, later this week in washington, secretaries kerry and hagel will meet with their counterparts which is where a lot of the work gets done. >> chuck todd, thank you. it was both an end and a new beginning today in cleveland as the infamous house where three women were held in captivity for more tan a decade was torn down. one of those women talked about a fresh start after losing so many years of her life. nbc's john yang is in cleveland for us tonight.

john? >> reporter: good evening, lester. tearing down castro's house was part of the plea bargain. he signed over the deed as part of the deal. when the house came down today it was a very emotion al event. in a little more than an hour workers tore down the home where three young women were held for 11 years. for amandaymamanda berry, miche knight and gina dejesus it may not be erased easily. knight gave out yellow balloons saying they represent missing children who never were found. she re-elised some in the sky. >> nobody was there for me when i was missing. i want people out there to know including the mothers that they can have strength. they can have hope. >> reporter: after the final wall fell, some neighbors prayed. knight spoke of her own faith saying he wants to be a messenger. >> i feel very liberated that

people think of me as a hero and a role model. i would love to continue being that. >> reporter: since her rescue knight has chosen to speak publically at pivotal times. >> i'm doing just fine. >> reporter: last week we deninetily confronting her captor at his sentencing. >> from this moment on i will not let you define me or who i am. i spent 11 years in hell. now your hell is just beginning. >> reporter: the psychiatrist who testified last week today called her an inspiration. >> she is a survivor. she's feisty. she's taken enormous abuse and has it in her to turn that around. >> reporter: a facebook page supporting her has thousands of likes. today the 32-year-old said she wants to be a voice for the missing. >> i go from here to becoming a motivational speaker and let everyone know they are heard. they are loved. there is hope for everyone. >> reporter: the demolition was to have been paid for with $22,000 that the police found

stashed in castro's washing machine. but the contractor said he'd do it for free. officials offered the money to the women. the three women said, no, they want the money to go to the neighborhood. lester? >> john yang in cleveland tonight for us. thanks. a state of emergency in parts of missouri where days of eh rain and flash flooding left a 4-year-old boy and his mother dead. and caused a lot of misery for many people in that region. weather channel meteorologist mike seidel is following up from wanesville, missouri, tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. you can see the rushing waters of the creek behind me. it's still over its banks. rainfall at two to three inches an hour led to dangerous flash flooding and destruction. heavy storms pounded parts of southern missouri overnight. nine inches of rain fell in a few hours causing massive flooding to homes and businesses

and left hundreds without power. >> we were able to effect several rescues from rooftop of vehicles and people pinned to trees by the force of the flood. >> reporter: officials issued mandatory evacuation orders. governor nixon declared a state of emergency and hassle called in the national guard. after a 4-year-old boy was killed, the vehicle he was in swept away in a flash flood in waynesville. >> we could have problems all week long. i have lived here 40 years and this is the worst i have seen. >> reporter: central kansas is under a flood watch. swollen rivers swamped nearby homes and forced sections of state highways to be shut down. swift water rescue teams were called to northern georgia where fast-moving water tore through several counties, downing trees, washing away roads and prompting evacuations. at this hour, interstate 44, the major route between st. louis and springfield is shut down because of flooding.

meanwhile, more heavy rain in the forecast into the weekend. flash flood watches continue. many are wondering if they will have to head to higher ground once again. lester? >> mike seidel, thanks. in prescott, arizona, where 19 firefighters were killed battling a massive wildfire this summer, one of the widows spoke out today claiming she and other families are not getting as much financial support from city officials as she thinks they deserve. many members of a granite mountain hot shot team were classified as part time. their work often seen as seasonal. that could mean a big difference in compensation for their families. nbc's miguel almaguer has the story from prescott. >> reporter: in front of the county courthouse today, julieanne ash craft went public. >> i stand here not just for me. there were 19 men that perished in the fire. >> reporter: the widow, mother of four, her husband andrew, one of 19 firefighters killed in the arnell hill fire. ashcraft said the city turned

its back on the families left behind. >> these good employees of theirs that perished did everything they could for this city and the city is doing the bare minimum in return. >> reporter: in the days following the tragedy, the city pledged to help families of the fallen. >> we will be here to support you, to include you. >> reporter: but andrew ashcraft and 12 other hot shots were classified as temporary employees, fighting wildla fires as seasonal workers. an injustice, says the firefighters union. >> these are seasonal employees. they work full time. they work their full fire season. they take the full risk, but unfortunately their families do not receive the full protection. >> reporter: across the country more than 10,000 firefighters are classified as seasonal. in many cases they don't get full benefits or wouldn't qualify for a significant family payout should they die in the line of duty. in a statement, the city of

oppress cot said it has been mistakenly suggested that the city made a promise it would somehow find a way to retroactively re classify temporary employees as permanent. the city cannot do this legally. ashcraft and all the families will receive a payout of nearly $330,000. millions less than a full-time employee. >> to me it's not a matter of which of the 19 deserve benefits. they all do. >> reporter: tonight the firefight may be over but the battle over benefits has just begun. miguel almaguer, prescott, arizona. >> in texas today, the court-martial of the man charged in the massacre of oh 13 people at ft. hood was put on hold until tomorrow. although army major nidal hassan is representing himself there is a team of military lawyers to assist if he requests it. but a lawyer said he's trying to get the death penalty and argued the legal team should not be

required to take part in that. overseas authorities in yemen say they will foiled an al qaeda plot to seize key cities, blow up pipelines and disrupt oil trade. concern about stepped-up al qaeda activity in yemen is reportedly behind the u.s. decision to evacuate most of its em ba si personnel there and increase drone strikes including another one today that left seven dead. in kenya today a massive fire tore through the nairobi airport, one of the largest aviation hubs in africa. it started small but with a shortage of equipment to fight it, the blaze soon roared out of control forcing the airport to close and dozens of flights to be cancelled. no apparent terrorist connection and, surprisingly, no serious injuries there. back home, former president george w. bush was released from a texas hospital today, a day after a stent was inserted to open a clogged artery in his heart. the blockage was found during an

annual physical he had on monday. he's said to be doing well and will resume a normal schedule tomorrow. still ahead tonight we'll find out how brian is doing after a surgery so many americans are getting these days. but first, pool safety and the danger that may exist in many pools across the country. later, an i are re cystable new show in black and white. [ female announcer ] it's simple physics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits

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tonight -- pool safety -- after an accident involving the son of a famous singer earlier this week. the child became trapped in the suction of the pool's drain. experts say that's a danger in many pools across the country. here's nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: it was a frantic call to atlanta 911. >> yes. i have -- my nephew was in the pool. and he -- he went and i couldn't get him. >> reporter: the son of usher nearly drowned after being trap bid the family pool's drain. two contractors saved the child. a chilling reminder of the serious risks a pool drain can pose. in minneapolis, 6-year-old abigail taylor died months after slipping in the baby pool and landing on the drain. the drain sucked out her intestines. >> you don't think about your child being disemboweled in 18 incheses of water. >> reporter: in 2002 the 7-year-old granddaughter of james baker drowned after being pinned by a hot oh tub drain.

without the proper cover the suction on a pool's drain is so strong a grown man can struggle to pull free a rubber ball. between 1999 and 2008, 11 children died in pool entrapments. five years ago a new national law required public pools to install new dome-shaped covers to prevent entrapment. since the law went into effect the federal government has no reports of anyone dying in a public pool entrapment. but the law doesn't cover private pools. 32 people, mostly kids, have suffered entrapment injuries. the problem -- any drain cover can become brittle and loose in the sun and chlorine. the danger is if the cover comes off. >> right. then the toy goes in, the child wants to get his toy back and the suction can happen. that's when entrapment can happen. >> reporter: the warning to pool owners, update drain covers and check them seasonally. tom costello, nbc news, bethesda, maryland. >> an important warning there. when we come back, as the

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we have more tonight on an operation hundreds of thousands of americans undergo each year including the usual occupant of this chair. we are happy to report 24 hours after knee replacement surgery, brian was up and around today. there are rumors he made two laps around the nurses' station, taking the first test drive on his new titanium knee made necessary by a high school football injury 30 years ago. brian, if you're watching tonight -- and i have no doubt you are -- you will appreciate or sympathize with a fellow patient also hoping to return soon to a pain-free life. our chief medical editor dr. nancy snyderman has our report. >> which knee are we going to operate on today? >> the bad one. >> the bad one. >> reporter: it's early morning at new york the's hospital for special surgery.

dr. windsor is finishing his safety checks before bringing 54-year-old thomas apple into the o.r. >> feeling good. nervous. feeling excited. >> reporter: tom is having toe ta -- total neerpt surgery. doctors put plastic where the shin bone used to be. they cement a me tall covering around the femur creating a smooth surface separating the bones. the numbers for total knee replacements are up in men and women, topping more than 645,000 cases a year. that's double the number of oh wrist, ankle, shoulder and hip re placements, combined. like thomas apple, brian williams also suffered a painful knee injury playing high school sports. >> did you have to be talked into the operation or were you ready? >> every surgeon always said to me , you will know. i was hung up on taking out original equipment and putting in replacement parts. >> reporter: the good news is

today's high tech parts are built to last. >> in the beginning days of total knee replacement we would say ten years and you're lucky, 15 is great. now we are beginning to see 20, 25, 30-year survivorship. the cost of the total knee replacement varies wildly depending on age, condition and where you live. from $23,000 up to $70,000. some of it covered by insurance, some not. >> i just want to see him happy. >> reporter: for tom apple and his wife, linda, there is no price tag on what they hope will be a pain-free future. dr. nancy snyder it is man, nbc news, new york. >> we have posted a lot more online including information on how to compare prices for the surgery on our website, nbcnightlynews.com. there is this tonight about an innovative technique to keep the weeds away from the historic congressional cemetery in washington. a special grounds crew went on duty. for sixays dozens of goats

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and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour one on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour three. zyrtec®. love the air. finally tonight, perhaps no other creature commands our fascination as much as the giant panda. we'll show you the latest pictures from china where these pandas have just woken up. they are the online stars of one of the best shows you will see in black and white. the launch of the giant panda channel. nbc's kate snow has a preview tonight. >> reporter: about a million people visit china every year to see their most famous residence dents. this is the hometown of the

giant panda. if you can't afford to fly to the other side of the world, now there's this. a 24-hour panda cam. more than 30 cameras have been planted all over the research base of giant panda breeding, constantly capturing cuteness. pandas sleeping, pandas eating, pandas wrestling. >> they're cute. >> very cute. >> they are incredibly cute. >> reporter: last december wildlife conservationists showed us around the preservation. >> they're adorable with the cheeks. >> reporter: round cheeks. >> big eyes. it makes them almost look like a human infant. that the appearance engenders us to want to protect, protect , protect. >> reporter: scientists here figured out how to breed pandas in captivity as quickly as possible. these cubs were 4 months old when we stopped by the nursery. >> you can touch. >> reporter: can i?

hi! >> open. good boy. >> reporter: james ayala says he's impressed by how much the chinese put on display from facebook to youtube. panda cam is an easy way to raise moneyr from the program. >> will we pull pandas back from extinction? >> that's why i'm here. >> reporter: i am in heaven! pandas wr s whenever i wrote. so go ahead. get your panda fix, but not when the boss is looking. kate snow, nbc news, new york. >> that's our broadcast for this wednesday night. thanks for being with us. i'm lester holt in for brian. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. we hope to see you right back here tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

simon cowe orell baby drama. >> i am concerned for my daughter. >> the grandma breaks her silence. >> there's been no crime here. and then after the usher nightmare. >> is he breathing? >> could he lose custody of his two sons? plus, how to protect your children from being trapped in a pool drain. and then shocking new photos, the two brothers killed in their sleep by a deadly python. they're inside a snake cage. and the mayor of san diego caught on tape. >> a newly favorite congressman. >> as the parade of women accusers keeps growing, what this marilyn monroe impersonator says he did to her. >> you don't expect someone in public office to grab your behind. plus, as president barack obama returns to "the tonight show," why he has become the favorite target of the late- night comics. now "inside edition" in

high definition with deborah norville. hello everybody and thank you for joining us. simon cowell is remaining maximum about having a baby with his good friend's wife but someone who is speaking out is the woman's mother. she says no crime has been committed so the crazeness surrounding her family has got to stop. >> there has been no crime committed here. >> reporter: it's the first interview with simon cowell's baby momma's momma. >> life has to go on forker and this has to stop. >> reporter: what do you mean this has to stop? >> all the trashing of my daughter and all this publicity that half is not true. >> reporter: lauren silverman's mother spoke about the media frenzy surrounding her daughter's affair with simon cowell. lauren is married to a wealthy businessman andrew silverman with whom she has a 7-year-old son. >> right now my main concern is my grandson, adam and my daughter. and that is what i am concerned about. >> reporter: lauren's husband used to be good pals with

simon, but despite the touchy situation, she says simon is still happy about the baby. >> he is very excited, i must say. >> reporter: and meanwhile, lauren's former high school english teacher steve lewis is speaking out to "inside edition" denying reports he had an affair with lauren when she was just 16 years old. he write, i made a mistake and made a phone call over 20 years ago in a drunken state and made some inappropriate remarks that were overheard by m rs. silverman's parents. that was the one truth in this initial story. i believe i was asked to resign the following day. usher's 5-year-old son remains in the hospital. but as he recovers, there's more family drama. the child's mother, usher's ex- wife has moved to try to gain custody of her children. >> reporter: the 5-year-old son of singer usher is recovering after a brush with death in the family's pool. but the near tragedy has reignited the